Spark-conductor



2' SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

' K. H. GAMER;

SPARK CONDUOTOR. No. 398,818. P nted Mar..5, 1889.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

K. H. GARPER.

SPARK GONDUGTOR.

Patented Mar. 5, 1889.,

I Svwewtoz Ezfifl'. Harper,

abtocmM o q wbma 0% UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KENT HERSEY CARPER, OF SALEM, VIRGINIA.

SPARK-CONDUCTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,818, dated March 5,1889.

A lication filed December 7, 1888- To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, KENT HERSEY CARPER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Salem, in the county of Roanoke and State of Virginia, haveinvented new and useful Improvelnents in Spark-Conductors, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in spark-conductors.

The object of the present invention is to provide a spark-conductor ofsimple'and comparative inexpensive construction that will in a positiveand reliable manner convey the smoke and sparks and cinders from alocomotive and deposit them in suitable places and 1 prevent thementering the cars or setting afire the adjacent property.

The invention consists in the novel con struetiol'l, combination, andarrangement of the parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, and i pointed out in the claims heretoappended.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a train ofcars provided with the improved spark-00nduetor. Fig. 2 isavcrt-icalcentral sectional view of the sparkconductor and a portion of thesi'noke-stack disconnected. Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the endsupports of the flue. Fig. at is a cross-section taken on line a: ofFig. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the spark-receptacle; and Fig.6 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the central support.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A designates a locomotive havingits smokestack a provided at the top and on its front. side with aflaring mouth, (1, whereby a di rect draft is caused through a due, 1'3,which conveys the smoke and some of the sparks front the locomotive A tothe rear of a train of cars, t.

Thedraft through the flue l is regulated and controlled by a damper,which is hinged to the top of the stack and opens and closes the top ofthe smoke-stack n, and conscqucn tly the passage through the due l3, andit has attached to it a rope or other suitable connecting means, whichextends to the cab of the locomotive and within easy reach of theengineer and fireman. Ply this construction a straight drat't out of thes1nokestack can be flerial No. 292.899. (No model.)

caused when the hngomolive is inn-king or switching.

The section ll of the line I passing over and attached to the locomotiveand the tender A,consists of a single tube, which has its forward end,I), suitaljily connected to smoke stack a. This forward end, I), isbell-mouthed, and its lower side has connected to it a discharge-tube,D, which extends down below the boiler of the locomotive A, and isprovided at its lower end with a weighted valve, (.1. The smoke andother products of combustion, after leaving the smoke-stack u, impingeagainst the inclined damper and are deflected and thrown against thebottom of the bell-mouthed end 7:, thereby causing a great: portion ofthe einders and sparks to [all into the dischargetube 1). The upper endof the discharge-t ube D is flaring and readily receives the sparks,while the lower end is provided with the weighted valve (1. The weightedvalve (1 consists of a damper and a weighted lever to control thedamper, and the valve may be regulated bydi mi nishi ngand increasingthe weight to hold any desired amount of cinders before opening.

The due 1:; has a numbcrof diseharge-tubes, D, consl ructed similarly tothe one described.

and all of the weighted valves 1! may be con-' nected by a rope or thelike, which may be under the control of the conductor or enginecr, whomay empty the discharge-tubes l) while the cars are crossing water orother and held above the locomotive b v supports 11], l composed ot atripod base, e, and a clamp, e,

consisting of a curved piece suitably secured to the base c, and curvedarms hinged to the curved piece and completing a circle when closed,which surrminds and securely clasps the line B. One of the curved armsof the clamp 11. isprovided with a hook, andthe other has a link lobeengaged by thehook to fasten the two parts together.

Just back of the Smokestack (L the section ll of the flue has extendinga considerable distance of its length a wire-gauze or similar bottom,I), under which is placed a metal trough, 73 having its rear endconnected to and communicating with a discharge-tube, D, similar to theone above described. The products of combustion passing through the flueB deposit upon the wire-gauze bottom I) a large amount of sparksandcinders, which drop into the trough b and are then 0011- veyed into thedischarge-tube D and disposed of in the manner heretofore described.

At various intervals along the section B, and also along the entire flueB, are branch tubes b slightly inclined in the direction of the draftand re-enforcing the same. These branch tubes 17 have flaring mouths andpermit access to the various parts of the flue B i The section B,

for cleaning or the like. which passes over the locomotive and tender,is connected to a section, B by pas in g acousiderable distance into abell-mouthed end, 1), whereby when the cars are passing around curvesthe sections of the fines will have great freedom of movement withoutliability of parting or permitting the exit of the products ofcombustion. The section B? is of a length equal to the length of a car,and is secured thereto intermediate of its ends by a central support,E,the clamp e of which is swiveled to'the base e, whereby the section B?is ren dered capable of rotation to bring the bellmouthed end b ateither end of the car. This central support, E, has the clamp e, securedto a screw, 6 which engages an internallythreaded cup, 6 that isinserted in a collar, (2*, connecting the legs of the tripod base e.Besides the central support, the section B is secured at the ends of thecar, and at suitable intervening points, if desired, by the endsupports, E, constructed as heretofore described. \Vhen it is desired tochange the bell-mouthed end of the section B from one end of the car tothe other, the curved arms of all the clamps 6, except the central one,are unfastened, and then the section B is turned upon its centralsupport and secured in position by the clamps e.

Each of the sections 13 is provided with a 5 wire bottom, b,and atrough, 11 of a construction already described. The trough b terminatesin a spout, b, which projects into a'funnel-shaped mouth, (1, of theupper end of the discharge-tubes D, that are placed at the middle of thecars, and when the section B? is swung around the spout b does not leavethe funnel-shaped mouth (1. The sections B are I placed upon all thecars, and the rear one has suitably secured to it a receptacle, F,constructed of wire-gauze, which will permit passage of the smoke, butwill retain the sparks amount of cinders have collected. The sparkextension F has a cylindrical extension, f

which fits snugly on the flue B at an end of a section B therebyrendering the spark-receptacle readily removable from the section 13",to facilitate its being conveniently placed at the end of the train ofcars.

"When the spark-conductor is designed to be employed in connection Wit-hfreight-trains, the flue B extends only to the rear of the tender, andis provided at its terminus with a suction-fan suitably connected to andoperated by the engine, and does not have the inclined branch tubes tore-enforce the draft.

From the foregoing'it'will be readily seen that spark-conductors asabove described will convey the smoke, sparks, and cinders of thelocomotive away from the passengers, and successfully prevent theirsetting fire to the neighboring buildings and other property.

Having described the invention, what I claim is T 1. In aspark-conductor, the flue provided 4. A spark-conductor having areversible flue-section provided with a central support having aswiveled clamp, and the end sup ports provided with curved clamping-armshinged to the base, substantially as described.

5. In a spark-conductor, the wire-gauze receptacle detachably connectedto the rear end of the flue and having its bottom constructed of gauzeand hinged to one of its sides and held normally closed by a spring,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

KENT HERSEY CA RPER.

'Witnesses:

DAVID H. KEMOLDRO, SAMUEL WHrrTAKEn.

IQQ

